Phil Wickham & Brandon Lake Turn “Over the Rainbow” into Heaven’s Anthem: A Duet That Feels Like Church in the Clouds
Somewhere between the emerald hills of Oz and the golden streets of eternity, two of Christian music’s brightest voices have met to sing a song that makes the sky feel closer than ever.
A Classic Reborn: From Judy Garland to Jesus-Centered Worship. Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Heaven’s Song)” reimagines the 1939 Wizard of Oz standard as a soaring worship ballad. Released October 25, 2025, as the lead single from Wickham’s Awaken the Wonder: Friends, Volume Two, the track transforms Dorothy’s wistful dream into a believer’s confident hope. Lake’s raw, gravel-tinged tenor carries the verses with aching longing—“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”—while Wickham’s crystalline falsetto lifts the bridge into celestial heights: “One day I’ll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me… and I’ll be home.” Produced by Jonathan Smith, the arrangement swells from delicate piano to a 60-piece orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
Two Journeys, One Calling: How Wickham and Lake Finally Collided. Though both artists exploded from the Bethel and Passion movements, their paths rarely crossed. Wickham, 41, built his legacy on anthems like “This Is Amazing Grace” and “Living Hope,” earning Dove Awards and a reputation for pristine vocal control. Lake, 33, stormed charts with “Graves Into Gardens” and “Praise,” known for unfiltered emotion and trombone-tinged grit. Their friendship sparked in 2023 at a Nashville songwriter retreat, where a 2 a.m. jam session on the classic tune left everyone in tears. “We didn’t plan a duet,” Wickham told CCM Magazine. “We just felt heaven leaning in.” Lake added, “Phil sings like an angel; I sing like I’ve been through hell and found Jesus there. Together? It’s the full story.”
Lyrics That Bridge Earth and Eternity: A Theological Twist on a Cultural Icon. The re-written bridge is where the song ascends. Instead of “troubles melt like lemon drops,” the duo declares: “Every tear will find its grave, every chain will fall away, when I see my Savior’s face—hallelujah, I’m on my way.” Theologians praise the subtle eschatology—Rainbow as covenant promise, blue skies as new heavens, home as the New Jerusalem. Worship leaders report spontaneous altar calls during early listening sessions; one Atlanta pastor played the demo mid-sermon and watched 47 teens surrender their lives. “It’s not a cover,” says Lake. “It’s a conversation with God through a melody the world already loves.”
Recording Magic: From Garage Demos to Abbey Road Glory. The journey began in Wickham’s home studio in San Diego, where the pair tracked raw vocals over a single mic. Lake flew in from South Carolina mid-tour, still in sweat-soaked stage clothes. “We kept the first take,” Wickham laughed. “Brandon cried through the second verse—real tears on the floor.” Final strings were added in London, with the London Symphony Orchestra sight-reading the chart in one take. Conductor Cliff Masterson called it “the most spiritual secular session I’ve ever led.” Hidden in the mix: a faint trombone line (Lake’s childhood instrument) weaving through the harp glissandos, a nod to his “Heaven’s Porch” sanctuary project.
A Visual Masterpiece: The Music Video Shot in One Continuous Take. Directed by Nathan William, the video unfolds in a single, unbroken six-minute shot. It begins in a dimly lit 1940s theater where Wickham sits alone at a piano; Lake enters through the audience, spotlight following. As the song builds, walls dissolve into open sky—CGI seamlessly blending practical sets with drone footage over the Scottish Highlands. The final frame freezes on the duo standing on a literal rainbow bridge (filmed at Iceland’s Skógafoss waterfall), arms raised as thousands of paper doves (symbolizing prayers) swirl upward. Within 24 hours, the video hit 10 million YouTube views; #HeavensSong trended globally.
Live Debut Sparks Revival: 20,000 Voices in Unison at Passion 2026. The duo premiered the song live January 3, 2026, at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium during Passion Conference. When Lake hit the line “Someday I’ll wish upon a star,” the arena lights dimmed to phone flashlights mimicking stars. By the final chorus, 20,000 college students sang unprompted, many on their knees. Clips went viral; churches from Seoul to São Paulo incorporated the song into services the next Sunday. “We didn’t write a hit,” Wickham posted on X. “We opened a portal.”
A Legacy Beyond Charts: Unity, Healing, and the Sound of Heaven Touching Earth. Early tracking shows the single debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs—Wickham’s fifth, Lake’s third. But the deeper impact is communal. A Texas youth group raised $18,000 for foster care by live-streaming covers. A London oncology ward plays it daily for pediatric patients. Lake donated all first-week proceeds to Heaven’s Porch animal therapy wing; Wickham matched with music scholarships. “This isn’t our song anymore,” they said in a joint statement. “It belongs to every heart that’s ever looked up and believed there’s more.”
In an era of worship wars and genre silos, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Heaven’s Song)” reminds the Church what happens when excellence meets humility: two voices, one truth, and a melody that carries wanderers home. Somewhere over the rainbow isn’t a place—it’s a Person. And He’s already singing back.
